Raking mechanism for furnaces.



A. TUCKER. RAKING MEGHANISM FOR FURNACES.

lGPLIGAI'ION FILED MAY 21. 1908.

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A. TUCKER.

Y RAKING MEGHANISM FOR PURNAGES. y APPLIOATION FILED MAY `21, 1908.931,81 5".l 1 Patented Aug. 24. 1909.

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A. TUCKER.

RAKING MECHANSM FOR FURNACES.

APPLICATION ILBD MAY 21. 1908.

Patented Aug. 24, 1909y g 2,9.g I, .7

A. TUCKER. RAKING MEGHNISM POE PURNAGES.

APPLIMUON HLBD MAY 21.1908.

931,81 5. Patend Aug. 24, 1909.

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ALLEN TUcKEmoE MINERAL' PorNT, WrscoNsiN, AssrsNcR 'ro THE NEW JERSEYZINC con'- f AraNrncE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION or NEW JERSEY.'

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Be it that 1, ALLEN Tuciruma resident of Mineral Point, in .the countyof Iowa and State of .Wisconsin, have invented c erjv 'tainl. newv...and useful Improvements vin the.fol

Mechanism for Furnaces, of which owing is a full, clear, 'and completedisclosure. 4 1

This invention relates to furnaces in which a rake is reciprocated forthe purpose of stirring the contents of the furnace, land isparticularly applicable yto that class of furnacesinwhich ore isroasted, suchaszinc and other ores'.` L'

The inventidn resides in mechanism for o erating the rake's of such'furnaces so that t e fr novement of the same always be under easy andimmediate "control, and

era-te such furnaces is. reduced.

i whereby the number of men necessaryto .op-

Further advantages' and yiniprovements will' be hereinafter pointed outinthe followy specification' andclaims:

For a full, clear and detail description of one form of my invention,`reference may be had to the' following specification and to the accomanving 'drawings forming a part" Figure lis a side elevation of themecham ism forl operating the rakes, and'also showing the oreroastingfurnace in vertical -section. Fig". 2 is. an end elevation ofthe furnace showingthe turn-table for transferring the rakes from onetier of roasting ovens to an- 3.5

other, and showing ythe platforms for the operator located adjacentthereto. Fig. 13 is a side elevation of the platforms onwhichl theoperator stands, and also showing the Fig'. 4 isa plan; view of the rakeoperating'- mechanism, showing the means for transmitting powerthereto'.l Fig. 5 is a diagram matic'view of a turn-ftable at one end ofthe furnace, and `on which are located the controller handlesforcontrolling the rake op-'v ings, 10, through which the ore may heApplication sied nay'zrisos. serial No. 434,065.

i :Specification Letters -Patent. P.ailtd Aug'. 1969i passed fromoneoven to the next lower oven in the same tier. vThe lower ovens or mufesare separated by fire flues, 1.1, through which may pass. It is to beunderstood, however, that I' do lnot desire to be'limited to this par'-ticularform of furnace, as the bottom of the combustible gases forheating the .ore

one side thereof, sothat when the shaft-.12 Vis rotated-at 180 degrees,the-platfo'rr'nlmay be' brought opposite either of the two tiers ofovens shown. These platformsare preferably providedwith guides, 14,shown in Fi' s. 2 and-4, and also with anti-friction .rol ers, 15. Therake, 16, is slightly nar` rower than the distance betweenthe guides 14,and is constructed in any preferred4 `or .well known form, and operatesto evitate or stir the ore in the oven in the wel .knowIr way. This rakepreferably consists of a rec tangular frame-having triangular cross-barsand vertical bars or projections for moving the'orelaterally, The rake,16, is Valso pro-4 vided withtwo sets of angularly arranged rods, 17,tol which the draw rods maybe connected. The draw rods, 1 8, are set 1npairs opposite each tier of ovens or muliies,- a nd vare preferablyoperated by endless. chains,V

19, to which` they are attached at their 'outer ends. The draw rods, 18,are provided with hooks or similar devices, 20, lat their 'inner ends bywhich they'lmay be attached to the respective r'ods, 17, of the rakes,y16. Power is communicated to the sprocket chains, 19,`by means ofsprocket wheels, 21,

fixed on transverse shafts, 22. v The inner',

ends'of these shafts, 22, are rprovidedwith bevel gears, 23, whichmesh-with corresponding bevel gears, 24, fixed on a vertical shaft, ivo

25. These bevel gears 23 are so mounted on the shafts, 22, that they mayb'e thrown and outof mesh with the' gears,' 24, by a.

mechanism hereinafter to be described. vThe shaft A25 also carries abevel gear, 26, which meshes'with 'the 'bevel gear, 27, iiXedfvto 'ashaft, 28,- which may be driven in any suitf able waysruch as by any;rwell known connection with an electric motor, 29.

Adjacent each end of the furnace, and at each side of the turn-tableof`platforms 13,'

with a transverse horizontal shaft, 33, bymeans of b'evel gears orsimilar devices, 34.'

The shaft, 33, is connected-'with a controller; 35, which controls'themotor 'connected 'with themaindriving shaft for the rake operatmgmechanism.v f This controller is preferablyT constructed so that amovement of the controller handle in one direction from a medianposition will give one movement, saya forward movement, to the drawrods, while Aa movement of 'the controller 'handle in the oppositedirection `from 7the median position will give a reverse or backwardmove'V ment. Y Instead of locating the controller handles on the fixedplatforms on lwhich the operators stand, the controller handles and theshafts on which .they lare 'mounted' may be attached to the 'turn-tablefor .transferring the rakesfrom'one tier of ovens to theothen Thismodification lis clearly Aillustrated in Figs. 5'and.6. In' thisarrangement' of the apparatus, each platform, or stage. of theturn-table '13is provided with a bracket, 36, on which .the verticalshaft137, is carried. The -controller handles, 3.8, are -attached .tothis shaft and operate to revolve the shaft 37 by the turn-table, tostart, stop or reverse the motor, 40, for reciprocating the rake bars,18. -In this formof the apparatus, the

-leads of the' motor are connected with the -controller by suitablecontact rings', 41., and contact strips, 42, the number of such ringsand strips, of course, depending upon the number of leads required.

It will be apparent that-any number of draw rods may be operated'independently or simultaneously, draw rod may be operated independentlyof the others at the end -of the furnace, I provide means', for*vthrowing the 'driving mechanism forthe draw rods into and out of'operative connection therewith. For this purpose t e gears, 23, areslidably mounted upon the shafts, 22, being sphned thereto, so that thepower fromthe shaft'22 will be communicated to .the gears 23, while atthe 'same time they are free .to move longitudinally on said shaft. Forthe purpose of moving the gears 23 longitudinally on the vshafts 22'are' .provided rotatably and longie5 tudinally movablesleeves, 43,which, when so as to cause the controller, 3,9, also carriedv yand inorder .that onevosc'illated or rotated, nillhave 'a correspond# inglongitudinal. movelnent'such as bythe use of a well-known pin and spiralslot op` erating in connection .With'the ,support or bearings,*44. Thesleeves 43 are rotatedA .7o by means 'ofY radially projecting levers 45.Eachof. theselevers 45 is .connected tothe ends of a pair of-ropes orcords, .46 and 47, which are carried 'by suitablesheaves supported onthe framework of the'a paratus., andthe ropes are so located' that t eirends terminate'adjacent the'respective )latforms, 30, on whichthe'operator stands, and fit should be noted' that the ends ofthe ropesor cords for moving the transmission gears longitudinally extend tothose platforms which correspond to the height' of a particular rake4,barfto be operated. These cords-or ropes', 46 and' 47 .are preferablyprovided with counter weights', 48,' which not onlykeep the said-cordstaut, but' also tend to counter.- balance the Weight of the partsinoperating `the transmission gears.- The detailsi'of operation of myimproved mechanism Will'be apparent from the abovel description, but itmay be said .that when in use the 'turn-table, 13, is located oppositeone verticaltierofovens, and su Aposlngtlic ore -to have beendistributed tlirough -the different. ovens or..mufIies of the furnace,after having been insertedthrough the first opening, 9, the first rakeofthe correspond'- ing oven, 2,'is .drawn through 'the sai'd'oven fromone 'end to the -otherfsay from the 'left handtoward the'right, where itis then alf vloo lowedto 'remain on the turn-table at-that end ofthefurnace. The next lower oven is raked in a similar manncr, but in theopposite direction, and sd until all'thc rakcs have' -b'een transferredto the turn-tables at the loa4 opposite ends of the' apparatus.f Bothturn.- table's are then rotated 1S() degrees',thereby vbringing theTakes' o )posite theother tier of ovens or muffles. i`hesame;operation'- is- 'then repeated, except that the rakes .are 110drawn' through the ovens 'inthe reverse -directiolnfuntil they 'are4all. 'deposited on the turn-tables from which the ,started Theturnetables are then rotate( back to their original position 'and thecycle isthen 115 complete.

tvfill be obvio'us that the respectivedrav: rods are thrown into andoutof operation-by 'pulling upon the ends o'f the respective cords, and 47,while their movements for- Ward .or backward Vare legulatedby means ofthe controller l1andles, 31,.

From the above description, it -will be seen that -l nt only produce: anexceedingly simple and easily o erated mechanism for reciprocating thera es in furnaces, of the class described, whereby'the rakcs are at alltimes under 4complete and instant control, whereby the rakesmay beeasily and quickly transferred from lone tier of ovens to an- 130 other,but also A'the arrangement described reduces the number ofl attendantsnecessary to efficiently maintain the action of the fur- I naces, sinceit is possible for one man at each end of a single furnace comprisingtwo A vertical tiers of ovens, to'keep the furnace V1n continuousoperation. Heretofore, itghas been necessary to employ two men at eachend of the furnace, ,one man having charge of attachlng and detachlngthe rakes to the dran' rods, while theother man has had. to. give hisentire attention to the mechanism for reciprocating the rods. v j-Having thus described these forms of my invention, I do not Wish to 4beunderstood as being iim'itedto the exactvdetails of construction andarrangement of parts 'shown and devscribed-for obvious variations willoccur to' persons skilled-in thenm, and which may be embodied in theapparatus Without depart'- ing from the spirit and scope of myinvention. For instance,l the platforms, 30, for

Y theoperators, instead of being fixed, may have substituted verticallymoving plat- 'fc`r table n .and adapted to`move nito posltion opposltethe end of each tier, and having she ves located on alcvel with eachoven, operators platforms located .adjacent said transfer tables at theend of each tier of ovens, a series of rakes adapted to pass throughboth tiers of ovens, mechanism' for reciprocating said rakes, andcontrolling mechanism for said reciprocating mechanism having their endslocated at said operators. platforms.

2. The combination with a. furnace having two tiers of ovens, aturntable located at each end of the furnace, and pivoteg'l centrallybetween the tiers so as to move into posltlon opposite the end of eachtier, shelves carried j by said turntable on a level with each oven,

I operators" latforms located at each side of said turnta le adjacentthe ends of each tier of ovens, a .series 'of rakes adapted to passre'e-iprocating said rakes, controlling means for startmg and stoppingsald mechanlsm, means for controlling the dnectlon of motlon terminatingat `said operators platforms.

3. The combination with a furnace having a plurality of tiers of ovensof devices operat# ing within said `ovens and adapted to pass throughthesame, transfer tables at each end of said'furnace, o eratorsplatforms located adj acent'said tables, means for reciprocating at theends of said ovens, means for reciprocatlng said rods, a source ofpower, means Vfor connectlng and dlsconnectlng sald source comprisingslidable gears, means-for moving said gears longitudinally on theirrespective shafts and operating cords attached to said sliding meansandhavingttheir ends-located adjacent the respective operatorsplatforms. '4. .The combinationlwith a furnace having a plurality oftiers of ovens, of devices operating Within 'said ovens and adapted topass through the same, means for Vreciprocating rods locatedlongitudinally of and adjacent the ends of said ovens, endless chainsattached to said rods, sprocket Wheels for driving said chains, shaftscarrying said sprocket wheels, transmission gears slidably mountedoperating parts connected with sa'id sliding means and having their endslocated adj acent the ends of the furnace for operating ing shaft adated to be connected with each of said slidabli: ears, and meansfor'rotating said driving shaft 1n either direction.

Signed this 14th day of May, 1908.

ALLEN TUCKER.

l' llitnesses: W. R.- SMITH,

l FRANK E. HANSCOM.

thereof, said controlling' means having ends` through both tiersofovens, mechanism for l vsaid d evice Within said ovens, said meanscomprlsin-g rods located longitudlnall'y of and of power with each ofsaid rods, said means said devices Within said ovens, comprising ons'aidshafts, means for sliding said gears,

said sliding -means for said gears, a main driv-

